My CEO Sleepout Experience
Posted 21st of November 2025 by Gill Wier
On Monday I slept outdoors at Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park with 56 other business leaders to raise money for homeless charities in Sheffield. Here are my reflections on the experience.
Why did I choose to do this?
There was something about this challenge that appealed to me. Not only because lying down in a sleeping bag is easier than running a marathon, but because the cause is close to my heart! In the past I have supported people at risk of homelessness in different contexts. As a student I volunteered with a Homeless Outreach project, taking food and drink to people on the streets. I worked for NOMAD as a tenancy support worker for 7 years before I started Sheffield Central Counselling in 2008. Prior to this I also worked briefly for Roundabout in their hostel for young adults. I also volunteered with ASSIST, offering temporary accommodation to asylum seekers.
Inspiring stories
During the evening we heard from the three charities which are being supported through this event – Nomad, Roundabout and The Archer Project. It was inspiring to hear two young people share their own stories of how their lives have been turned around through support from Roundabout. Despite experiencing abuse, loss and long periods in unstable accommodation they have managed to recover to a large extent through receiving reliable ongoing support. This made me reflect on how resilient people can be and how much difference kindness and genuine support makes when it is given.
A small taste of rough sleeping
Trying to sleep outdoors on the hard ground was uncomfortable and unsettling. I didn’t get any sleep and felt pretty rough the next day! But I was very aware that this was far from what its really like for people who are forced to sleep rough. We were sleeping in a safe place and had clean toilets and a warm kitchen we could access during the night. We knew we would be going home to a hot shower and a change of clothes the next morning. It would be so much harder having to repeat this experience night after night with no end in sight.
The complexities of homelessness
The stories that were shared reminded me that homelessness is a complex issue with many contributing factors including physical and mental illness, relationship breakdown, bereavement and unemployment. Homelessness is about more than rough sleeping as many people are in temporary accommodation such as B&Bs or “sofa surfing” at different friends houses which creates instability. The CEO of Nomad shared that 90% of the people they now support are refugees – people who have been granted leave to remain in this country. So the government agree they were genuinely at risk in their home countries and do need a new safe country to live in. But once they receive permission to stay here they are given just 26 days to find their own place to live before being evicted from their home office funded accommodation so many end up on the streets.
Compassionate collaboration
It was encouraging to see so many business owners and leaders willing to take part in an event like this. I met some lovely and interesting people. It was good to learn more about how businesses can support charities and I am going to take time to consider what else I could do to support homeless charities in Sheffield.
